"So. I see you're a shell. That has broken the law." Sybil's eyes flashed as she spoke to the dummy resting in front of her, fists raised, body poised for attack. "Well, let me deliver you a bit of justice, then!" she roared as she surged forward and delivered a round of falcon punches to it's face, finishing it off with a kick to the stomach, making the dummy fall over, limp.
Sybil smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Dummy K.O. by Sybil Mira..." She stood tall. "And the crowd goes wild!" She leaped up with her hands in the air, imitating the roaring cheers of an audience. She looked over to the dummy, which hadn't moved an inch, frowning. "Oh, so you want more, huh? You haven't learned your lesson yet?" She pulled out a loaded handgun and turned off the safety, pointing at the dummy, hand on the trigger.
"Sybil! Thank goodness!" a squeaky, metallic voice echoed throughout the room, making Sybil jump back a bit and pull out the gun's magazine as quick as lightning. Her head snapped around at breakneck speed, her dark eyes widening as she took in Akiho's sudden appearance. She put her gun down and stepped away from the dummy.
"Hey..." She cocked her head to the side. "Aren't you Levana's android?"
"Please...I need...help..." Akiho breathed, her arms flailing around.
"Okay, slow down. What's going on? Why do you need help?"
"It's Levana!" Akiho whimpered, "I think she's trying to..."
Sybil got down on her knees, matching Akiho's height. "Trying to what?"
"I think..." she took a deep breath, "I think she's about to kill herself!"
Sybil's face paled. "What?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah. She s-said," The android hiccuped, "that she was going to...silence herself, and that it was her only way out..."
Sybil's brow creased in confusion. "Only way—"
"Please, Sybil! You have to help me! We have to save her!" Akiho cut her off, her voice frantic with desperation.
"Okay, okay! Please, calm yourself, take a deep breath—you're going to overheat," Sybil put a hand on Akiho's shoulder. The android complied, and Sybil stood. "Did she say how she was going to kill herself?"
"No..." Akiho trembled. "But she put on a coat and boots, so I'm assuming that she went outside..."
Sybil paled. "She's going to jump from the rooftop."
"How do you know?" Akiho asked warily.
"Because, it's a very effective method of execution..." Sybil said, clearing her throat. "And I'm quite sure that she'll jump from the highest tower...it's the deadliest fall."
Akiho took Sybil's hand in her prong and raced out if the room, Sybil nearly stumbling behind her. "Well, come on! Let's go! We have to hurry!"
"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" she exclaimed as the android continued to pull her down. Akiho seemed to go even faster, and Sybil wrenched her hand away from her grip, running alongside her.
A few minutes later, they emerged from the top of the winding stairwell that led up to the roof of the palace's highest tower, the cold air making Sybil shiver—for her white t-shirt, training shoes and cargo pants were all she was wearing.
She walked up to the edge, Akiho following nervously behind her, sensor flashing. "Oh no, she's not here...she must have already jumped..." The android whimpered, Sybil turning her head and putting a finger to her lips, shushing her.
The thaumaturge got down on her knees and peered over the ledge, gripping the tiled roof in clenched fists so that she didn't fall herself.
What she saw baffled her.
It all seemed so peaceful, so normal. There wasn't a ripple in the crystalline water, and Sybil would have just thought that the android was spouting nonsense, if it weren't for the vivid, crimson cloud that rose up to the surface, giving the lake a reddish tint. She shivered and put a hand to her mouth, her eyes watering.
Flicks of her feet and off were her shoes. She stood on the edge of the roof, the wind making her raven hair fly around, taking a deep breath.
"Akiko, meet me—"
"It's Akiho," the android corrected her.
Sybil waved a hand, scrunching her nose. "Whatever. Just meet me down by the shore at ground level, and bring back some maids or guards with you. I'll need all the help I can get."
She then leaped off the roof and dove into the cold lake, landing with a huge splash.
As soon as her body hit the water, the icy cold made her tense, and she let out a gasp, air bubbles escaping her lips and freezing liquid running down her throat. She clasped a hand over her mouth and breached the surface, taking in as much air as her lungs could hold, before diving back in, holding her breath. She looked around, her vision glossed over from the water around her. After a moment, she started to swim towards a trail of red that stuck out in the vast emptiness, leading her to a figure floating below, hands held out limp and auburn curls flying everywhere, blood pouring from a wound on her side.
Sybil kicked as hard as she could, grasping Levana's hand in her own and pulling up her limp body. She brought the unconscious princess to her chest before turning back and swimming towards the surface. Her arms and legs strained against the weight of the body she held at her side, the current getting stronger, and the cold not doing anything to help. Sybil paused, closing her eyes. With a swift kick, she surged up to the light penetrating the water, breaching the surface like a whale, taking a long, deep breath of much needed oxygen.
She paddled frantically to the shore, that thankfully wasn't too far, and hauled herself on top of it, laying Levana down on her side. She got on her knees and brushed her hair back, wiping some water from her brow; she was soaked to the bone and absolutely freezing.
She put a hand to Levana's forehead and took her wrist in her hand, running her thumb over an artery, checking for a pulse. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt it. It was slow and weak, but it was still there. She was alive. Sybil tore the wet coat from her body and cringed at the blood still pouring from her side, a long gash running down the length of her chest, cutting deep; right to the bone. She could see her ribcage through the torn flesh.
Barely holding back a gag, she put an ear to Levana's mouth, checking for breathing, and when it wasn't there, she balled up a hand into a fist and pressed it down over her chest, pressing down—one, two, three, until Levana sat up and coughed, water spluttering from her mouth. She fell back, still unconscious, but at least her airway was clear. Her chest was rising and falling and her heart was beating.
Satisfied, Sybil rolled her over into the recovery position, rubbing her back soothingly, until she heard approaching footsteps. Three maids and a guard came running over, Akiho leading them. They all gasped at the sight of the princess, bleeding and unconscious, with Sybil soaked and shivering. One of the maids came over with a blanket, wrapping it around Levana.
"Oh, you poor dear..." she said as she picked her up, cradling her in her arms without much difficulty. Levana was quite light.
"She'll...be alright..." Sybil gasped between shivers. "She needs...to go to the hospital...though..."
The guard nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Thaumaturge Mira." He wrapped an arm around her. "Come, we'll get you warm."
Sybil, who would've normally pushed anyone away, just nodded and walked with him, teeth chattering.
"Idiot..." Channary grumbled as she strode down the halls, two guards escorting her. "I can't believe that she would do something so reckless and stupid." She shook her head, the guards nodding, as if they agreed. The hallways turned from lavish to sterile as they trudged on further.
Once the queen and her entourage arrived at the hospital ward, one guard came over and opened the door for her. Channary breezed past him, paying him no mind whatsoever.
"You're welcome," he grumbled.
The queen ignored the guard and stormed down the halls until she reached her destination—Dr. Sage Darnel's office. He had called her over for an immediate appointment, to give the verdict on Levana's condition, and Channary, instead of feeling worried or afraid for her younger sister, just felt extremely annoyed. To think that she had to miss an important concert for this...
"Your Majesty." A passing nurse bowed her head, and Channary lowered hers slightly in return.
Just as she reached to knock on the metal door, it flung open, revealing Dr. Darnel, in his usual garb of light blue and a lab coat. His blonde hair was immaculate and his baby blue eyes bright behind rimmed spectacles, holding a clipboard against his chest with one arm.
"My Queen," he said respectfully as Channary held her hand out, and he took it in his free one and placed a light kiss on her knuckles.
"My dear Dr. Darnel..." she hummed, her voice thrumming along his spine. "I thank you so very much for your assistance in this matter. Do you have the reports? I am quite concerned for my sister's welfare," she lied, but the doctor didn't pick up on it.
He nodded. "Of course, Your Majesty. Please, come in, and make yourself comfortable." He bowed, holding an arm out, and Channary walked past him, perching herself delicately upon a chair that faced the opposite side of his desk. He followed, sitting in his own wheeled chair.
One of the guards peered through the door. "Your Majesty? Should we—"
"No, Reed, we would like some privacy. Keep your stations outside." She waved a careless hand.
The guard nodded. "Of course, My Queen," he said before closing the door.
Channary turned her head to the doctor. "So? What's the damage?"
"Well..." Dr. Darnel pulled up a file on the desk's netscreen, skimming through it, his fingers tapping on the desk. "Her Highness is currently in surgery for a deep gash running down the side of her chest. She'll need stitches, but luckily, no organs have been severely damaged, and she also has a few broken ribs. She has a severe concussion and went into shock as soon as she was taken to the hospital, but she should come through without any mental damage or paralysis, if only a bit of trauma."
The queen nodded. "That's quite the list."
"She is a very lucky girl. She fared quite well, considering the height of the drop and the sharp rocks in the water, for the time that she went without oxygen. Not to mention the temperature."
Channary rested her cheek on her knuckles, bored. "When will she be released?"
Dr. Darnel pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "We estimate in about three days, Your Majesty, but she'll have to be closely monitored for the next nine months."
"Nine months?" Channary lifted her head, her brow furrowed. "I highly doubt that it would take nine months for her to heal from those injuries."
The doctor cleared his throat. "Well...there is one other thing."
"And what is that?" Channary deadpanned, raising an eyebrow.
A moment's silence, save for the doctor taking a deep breath.
"Princess Levana is four weeks pregnant." He fidgeted in his seat, bracing himself for his queen's reaction.
The look on Channary's face was priceless. "What." She blinked, eyes wide, teeth clenched.
"Yes..." Dr. Darnel ran a hand through his hair. "Your Majesty, when we ran the first X-ray, we found a live embryo in the uterus, perfectly healthy, its heart beating and strong. It's a bit of a miracle, that it was able to survive such a fall, but...it's there." He chuckled softly, but caught himself as he noticed that Channary was anything but amused.
"Pregnant..." She rubbed her temples, feeling a migraine coming on. Great. She had a meeting in just a couple of hours, and her head felt like it was exploding. She would have to ask the doctor for some ibuprofen of something.
Her hand clenched into a fist. She cursed Evret in her mind. That idiot had gotten her sister pregnant! Had she not told him to use protection? Well, she didn't really say anything...but come on...he should have just used his head! The right one!
"Can you get rid of it?" She peered up at him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"What?"
"Can you abort the..." Channary's lips curled in disgust, "thing?"
Dr. Darnel took a deep breath. "Well, technically, we could. However, I'm afraid that we're not allowed to do such an operation at this time."
"Not allowed? I'm the queen! I'm telling you to do it!"
"We cannot proceed without Levana's consent," he answered bluntly.
Chananry glared at him, tilting her head. "What did you say?"
"We cannot—no—we will not abort the baby without the mother's full consent." The doctor crossed his arms over his chest, a hint of authority in his tone. Channary's fury clawed at her spine, desperate to be unleashed.
Suddenly, as quickly as it appeared, her anger vanished, as an idea popped up in her head. Calm flooded through her body as her lips curled into a coy smile.
She found it. A solution.
Lately, the Lunar court had been pestering the queen about the matter of heirs, and why she didn't yet have one. It was quite a touchy subject for Channary. A few years ago, she had discovered a very humiliating secret. One that she hoped to never have to reveal to anyone, only a few doctors ever knowing. One that had caused her immense pain, and had made her lose any ability to love that she might've once had.
She was incapable of having children. Infertile. The doctors said that it was a genetic disorder, one that had been passed on for centuries, but had obviously skipped her parents' generation. She had no problem with actual conception, but the disorder made it so that the egg couldn't latch onto the uterine wall, inevitably making it die. If she ever wanted to have children of her own, it would either have to be in-vitro or with a surrogate mother, but both options required informing more people of her...condition, so neither was feasible.
But Levana's child...
She could easily have the birth certificates destroyed and replaced with ones that said exactly what she wanted them to. Only genetic testing could prove the child's real parents, and she would make it so that none of her people would ever suspect a thing, and she planned to dispose of Levana eventually.
Yes. That's what she would do.
She would take the child from Levana. Her little niece or nephew would become her own.
Her heir.
Levana awoke the next day to the sound of sharp beeping, and she groaned as she opened her sticky eyelids, a bright light nearly blinding her. She blinked repeatedly, her mind a complete haze. She didn't understand. What had happened? Was she dead? Was this...heaven's light? She let out a moan and closed her eyes, waiting for the beeping to stop, and for something, anything to happen.
When nothing did, she opened her eyes again, her brow furrowed. Weren't there supposed to be other dead people in heaven? Or angels? The light and noise was all there was, and she narrowed her eyes until her vision cleared. She could make out the white tiles of the ceiling, and of cream walls around her. The air smelled of chemicals and sterile medicine, and she put a shaking hand to her face, feeling the plastic tubes that ran up her nose, frowning before gripping them, attempting to pull them out.
"I wouldn't touch those if I were you."
She froze, her fingers only pulling the air tubes out a fraction before her hand fell back to her side, and she struggled to turn her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of who had spoken. The princess took a deep breath and propped her elbows up, righting herself, attempting to get into a seated position. She cried out as a sharp pain flooded through her side, and she fell back, stopped by a warm hand that kept her from slamming down on the pillow. She looked up to see a familiar face propping her up, placing pillows behind her back, allowing her to sit up.
"S-Sybil?" Levana narrowed her eyes, her voice raspy.
"Hello, Princess. It's good to see you awake," the thaumaturge said calmly as she stood over her, hands clasped behind her back. "That's quite a fall you endured there. Cut up your side, a few broken ribs, and a nice concussion."
Levana looked down at the pristine white sheets. "I didn't fall; I jumped," she murmured.
"Yes. I know," Sybil sighed, and she sat down in a nearby chair. "I'm the one who saved you." She frowned. "Levana, why would you do such a thing?"
Levana didn't answer, her gaze dark and brooding as she gripped the sheets in clenched fists.
"Do you need to talk to someone?" Sybil held a hand out, placing it on the princess' shoulder.
Levana's head shot up, her glare setting upon Sybil. "No. And I definitely won't talk to you." She spat, swatting Sybil's hand away.
"Levana, people don't kill themselves just because—"
"Why did you even save me, anyway?" Levana cut her off. "It's not like I mean anything to you. I'm worthless, remember? A freak," she spat, quoting Sybil from their first encounter. Sybil had the decency to look hurt, and Levana just rolled her eyes. "How did you even know?"
"Your android friend came to me in quite a panic." Sybil stared at her nails. "She interrupted my training to tell me that you were foolishly trying to kill yourself."
Levana's fist clenched. Akiho. Of course. "I wasn't being foolish," she grumbled.
"Is this about the emperor?" Sybil inquired, raising a slender eyebrow. The question caught Levana off guard, and she didn't say anything. Sybil's gaze softened when she noticed silent tears running down her cheeks, and she once again felt that dreaded pang in her gut.
How she hated it, her guilt. It made even the strongest and most powerful act like complete saps.
"Hey..." She put a hand to Levana's cheek, wiping away her tears. "Don't cry...it's going to be okay. You'll be alright."
Levana sniffed and looked up to her. "Why are you doing this?"
Sybil took a deep breath. "Honestly, I don't know." She rose to her feet and walked over to the door. "I guess it's because...well...I know how it feels."
"What?"
Sybil stopped, clutching the frame of the doorway, her knuckles turning white. "Look, I know that you hate me, and you have every reason to, but I just thought you should know that I don't agree with what Channary did." Her back was facing Levana, and she was quite visibly trembling. "Saito was innocent. What she did was evil." She turned her head to look at the princess. "It was despicable."
Levana blinked, her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath.
"Hang in there, Princess. Things will get better." Sybil opened the door and stepped out. "I know what you're going through. I know how it feels to hit rock bottom." She turned around and threw Levana one last sympathetic look. "I'm rooting for you."
She then closed the door, and Levana stayed there, frozen, until the click of Sybil's heels faded off in the distance.